School Chooser

The Willow Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil472 pupilsNurseryLondonHaringey
School Chooser Score
76
Above
similar schools
Likely range 58 to 87
Out of 100. Better than 71% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedOutstandingConfirmed by Ofsted, March 2023
Reached the expected level at 1162%England 63%
Attendance94.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families36%Far more than most schools
Places11 spare472 pupils, 483 places
Pupils per teacher22.4School workforce census

The Willow Primary School is a council school in London for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 472 pupils and room for 483. About 36 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 76 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 71% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2023.

Adams Road, Tottenham, London, N17 6HW020 8885 8800thewillow.haringey.sch.ukMs CO-HEAD Dawn Ferdinand CO-HEAD Sarah Harris headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 29 March 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Outstanding overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

55 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1162%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level13%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 51%51%20172018: 67%67%20182019: 55%55%20192023: 63%63%20232024: 52%52%20242025: 62%62%2025
Since 2017: +11%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017HaringeyEngland
Pupils tested555057555855
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths62%52%63%55%67%51%72%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths13%10%5%5%7%9%15%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0104.0101.0104.0101.0107.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0102.0103.0105.0104.0105.0106.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0103.0105.0106.0106.0106.0107.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard75%80%70%60%72%60%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard75%64%75%82%79%82%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)80%74%75%76%79%80%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.4-0.3+1.2-1.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.3+1.9+2.2+2.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged61%45%55%56%56%49%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged64%62%69%53%86%55%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
61%64%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
72%53%
Gap 19 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
58%62%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
6%13%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Nearly full409 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
97% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 7% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 600 m away in 2026, 520 m away in 2025, 280 m away in 2024. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 600 m from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary600 mLA
2025 Primary520 mLA
2024 Primary280 mLA
2023 Primary430 mLA
2022 Primary550 mLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 520 m of the school costs

Typical sale price within 520 m of the school£500,000half sold for £410k to £623k
Homes sold98December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-12%a typical home in the district sells for £570,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll472Census January 2026
Places48398% full
Pupils from low-income families34%36% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English39%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%73 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%25 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.912 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils8%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)37%£238,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls262 / 210
White British pupils10%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.2 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (47), Autistic spectrum disorder (24), Specific learning difficulty (14), emotional and mental health (9), Other difficulty or disability (3), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll472486473473464480
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals34%31%32%28%30%26%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language39%38%39%40%43%48%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support18%15%11%12%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%7%5%4%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school15.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.3%5.0%6.0%4.7%3.4%4.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.1%3.8%4.6%3.6%2.5%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.2%1.4%1.1%0.9%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence15.2%12.2%16.5%15.1%7.6%10.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers20.4full-time equivalent, 25 people
Pupils per teacher22.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants32.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£63,487
Teachers who left in the year10%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.52024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£12,142England £7,738. Total £5.6m
Income per pupil£12,562England £7,697. Total £5.8m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,560England £3,480
Money in reserve-1%In the red: -£83k, -£180 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£195kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£12,142spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m84912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate74 per 1,000 people18% lower than the England average
Typical house price£570,000Haringey
Nearest bus stop200 mBroadwater Farm Estate, 23 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Risley Avenue Primary SchoolCouncil510 m427Good 202219Compare
Bruce Grove Primary SchoolCouncil750 m277Good 202435Compare
Lancasterian Primary SchoolCouncil940 m410Good 202334Compare
Lordship Lane Primary SchoolCouncil950 m469Good 20238Compare
Belmont Junior SchoolCouncil950 m223Good 202257Compare
Belmont Infant SchoolCouncil950 m218Good 202351Compare
Harris Primary Academy Philip LaneAcademy0.6 miles448Outstanding 202497Compare
The Mulberry Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles494Good 202228Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The Willow Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats71%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 76 is 21 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 6 · middle 55 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than The Willow Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Hackney New Primary SchoolFree school3.9 miles344Not inspected86Compare
Thornhill Primary SchoolCouncil4.0 miles446Good 202289Compare
London Fields Primary SchoolCouncil4.2 miles407No overall grade 202584Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 76 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 76% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 58 to 87. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
-0.04
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 55 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)well above
+0.40
Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.03
DfE progress measure; 55 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.02
2024/25; 363 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 55 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is The Willow Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. The Willow Primary School scores 76 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 71% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 58 to 87, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is The Willow Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated The Willow Primary School outstanding at its last full inspection on 29 March 2023.

How good are The Willow Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 62% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 13% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does The Willow Primary School have?

472 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 483 places, so it is 98% full.

Is The Willow Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 600 m away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at The Willow Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 15% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at The Willow Primary School?

The average class had 25.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 8% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Adams Road, Tottenham, London, N17 6HW
Telephone
020 8885 8800
Website
www.thewillow.haringey.sch.uk
Headteacher
Ms CO-HEAD Dawn Ferdinand CO-HEAD Sarah Harris
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Haringey
Ward
West Green
Constituency
Tottenham
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
102131 · LAESTAB 3092077 · UKPRN 10080051
Formerly
Broadwater Farm Infant School, Broadwater Farm Junior School

Where these figures come from